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Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the value of tissue inhibitors of MMPs-2 (TIMP-2) to indicate 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) resistance status in colorectal cancer. Methods: The 5-Fu resistance of colorectal cancer cell lines was detected using Cell-Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and calculated using IC50. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to detect TIMP-2 expression level in the culture supernatant and serum. Twenty-two colorectal cancer patients' TIMP-2 levels and clinical characteristics were analyzed before and after chemotherapy. Additionally, the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model of 5-Fu resistance was used to evaluate the feasibility of TIMP-2 as a predictive biomarker of 5-Fu resistance. Results: Our experimental results display that TIMP-2 expression is elevated in colorectal cancer drug-resistant cell lines, and its expression level is closely related to 5-Fu resistance. Moreover, TIMP-2 in colorectal cancer patient serum undergoing 5-Fu-based chemotherapy could indicate their drug resistance status, and its efficacy is higher than CEA and CA19-9. Finally, PDX model animal experiments reveal that TIMP-2 can detect 5-Fu resistance in colorectal cancer earlier than tumor volume. Conclusion: TIMP-2 is a good indicator of 5-Fu resistance in colorectal cancer. Monitoring the serum TIMP-2 level can help the clinician identify 5-Fu resistance in colorectal cancer patients earlier during chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute mastitis is one of the main reasons why breastfeeding women stop breastfeeding, and medication should be used with caution. Considering the uncertainty of mastitis infection and the indications of antibiotic use, as well as the problem of drug resistance and the safety of medication during lactation, probiotics have become an alternative treatment choice. However, a meta-analysis of the effects of probiotics in preventing and treating lactational mastitis is still lacking. Therefore, we searched six electronic databases and the sites of clinical trial registration, a total of six randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis, which showed that oral probiotics during pregnancy can reduce the incidence of mastitis (RR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.69; p<0.0001). After oral administration of probiotics, the counts of bacteria in the milk of healthy people and mastitis patients were both significantly reduced (in healthy people: MD: -0.19, 95% CI: -0.23 to -0.16, p<0.00001; in mastitis patients: MD: -0.89, 95% CI: -1.34 to -0.43, p = 0.0001). These indicate that to a certain extent, probiotics are beneficial in reducing the incidence rate of mastitis during lactation and some related mastitis symptoms. However, high-quality multicenter clinical trials are still needed to support this result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the emergence of endocrine resistance, the survival and good prognosis of HR-positive breast cancer (HR + BC) patients are threatened. As a common complementary and alternative therapy in cancer treatment, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used, and its internal mechanisms have been increasingly explored. In this review, the development status and achievements in understanding of the mechanisms related to the anti-invasion and anti-metastasis effects of TCM against HR + BC and the reversal of endocrine drug resistance by TCM in recent years have been summarized to provide ideas for antitumour research on the active components of TCM/natural medicine. We searched the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI) (from inception to July 2023) with the key words "HR-positive breast cancer" or "HR-positive breast carcinoma", "HR + BC" and "traditional Chinese medicine", "TCM", or "natural plant", "herb", etc., with the aim of elucidating the intrinsic mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine and natural medicine in the treatment of HR + BC. TCM/natural medicine monomers and formulas can regulate the expression of related genes and proteins through the PI3K/AKT, JAK2/STAT3, MAPK, Wnt and other signalling pathways, inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of HR + BC tumours, play a synergistic role in combination with endocrine drugs, and reverse endocrine drug resistance. The wide variety of TCM/natural medicine components makes the research and development of new methods of TCM for BC treatments more selective and innovative. Although progress has been made on research on TCM/natural medicine, there are still many problems in clinical and basic experimental designs, and more in-depth scientific explorations and research are still needed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work demonstrates a novel chemosensor, SPTPA, that exhibits fluorescence and colorimetric dual sensing of hypochlorite with an ICT ON strategy. Additionally, the chemosensor successfully detected and imaged endogenous hypochlorite in living cells, various types of bacteria, and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the differences in metabolic changes between cows with ovarian inactivity and estrus cows, we selected cows at 60–90 days postpartum from an intensive dairy farm. According to clinical manifestations, B-ultrasound scan, rectal examination, 10 cows were assigned to the estrus group (A) and 10 to the ovarian inactivity group (B). All plasma samples were analyzed by 1 H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to compare plasma metabolomic profiles between the groups. We used multivariate pattern recognition to screen for different metabolites in plasma of anestrus cows. Compared with normal estrous cows, there were abnormalities in 12 kinds of metabolites in postpartum cows with ovarian inactivity (|r|> 0.602), including an increase in acetic acid (r = −0.817), citric acid (r = −0.767), and tyrosine (r = −0.714), and a decrease in low-density lipoprotein (r = 0.820), very low–density lipoprotein (r = 0.828), lipids (r = 0.769), alanine (r = 0.816), pyruvate (r = 0.721), creatine (r = 0.801), choline (r = 0.639), phosphorylcholine (r = 0.741), and glycerophosphorylcholine (r = 0.881). These metabolites were closely related to abnormality of glucose, amino acid, lipoprotein and choline metabolism, which may disturb the normal estrus. The decrease in plasma creatine and the increase in tyrosine were new changes for ovarian inactivity of postpartum cows. The decrease in plasma creatine and choline and the increase in tyrosine and p-hydroxyphenylalanine in cows with ovarian inactivity provide new directions for research on the mechanism of ovarian inactivity in cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The strength-strong scaffolds could be fabricated by (non)stoichiometric wollastonite ceramics. • The thin-layer dome scaffolds were customized and manufactured via digital light processing. • The dome scaffolds exhibited long-term structural stability and an expected biodegradation rate. • The dome scaffolds may stimulate osteogenic cell responses and appreciable osteogenic capability. Alveolar bone loss and insufficient bone mass are major obstacles to the oral implant treatment. Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is an effective and widely used method to solve this problem. Titanium mesh with good 3D space maintenance ability shows excellent effect in the assistance of GBR. Unfortunately, such metal mesh needs to be removed by secondary operation, and the exposure after operation can't be completely avoided. Thus, it is a big challenge to repair the alveolar bone defects with different shapes and sizes by customization. Herein, the wollastonite bioceramics without and with 6% magnesium doping (CSi, CSi-Mg6) were prepared to fabricate the macroporous dome-like meshes with different CSi/CSi-Mg6 mass ratio (0:100, 16:84, 32:68) via digital light processing-based 3D printing (DLP) technique. The mechanical parameters, biodegradable rate and osteogenic stem cell viability in vitro of the bioceramic scaffolds with different morphologies were also evaluated systematically. The macroporous bioceramic dome- or titanium mesh-assisted osteogenic potentials in the calcined bone granules were evaluated in the rabbit calvarial bone defect models. The experimental results showed that the scaffolds with 16%CSi exhibited satisfactory mechanical properties and promoted the proliferation and differentiation of osteogenic stem cells. The bioactive domes displayed significantly higher osteostimulate activity than the metal mesh in the calcined bone mineral granule systems. The appreciable CSi-Mg6 content (≥84%) in the dome scaffolds could maintain the porous structures after 16 weeks of implantation, and especially the presence of 16% CSi in the bioceramic dome may greatly balance the scaffold biodegradation and restoration treatment. Totally, the 3D printed nonstoichiometric wollastonite-based scaffolds are expected to be the promising candidates to replace titanium mesh in GBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progesterone (P4) is a steroid gonadal hormone that is mainly produced from the corpus luteum and placenta and has various biological functions, especially reproductive regulation. It is important to establish a specific and sensitive P4 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the study of ovary activity and reproductive disorders. Therefore, we prepared a monoclonal antibody (MAb) in a completed antigen (11α-OH-P4-HS-OVA). Based on the MAb and our previously prepared completed antigen, a highly specific and sensitive ELISA was developed. In the present study, a competitive ELISA for the determination of P4 was described in dairy cow milk. It was found that P4 concentration in milk samples from five pregnant cows was significantly higher than that from five estrus cows. The diagnosis rate for pregnancy and non-pregnancy in 54 dairy cows were 93.3% and 95.8%, respectively, at 19 to 23 days after pregnancy by detecting milk P4 concentration. In summary, the developed ELISA is a potential tool for P4 research and offers an alternative, simple, rapid technique for detecting P4, especially in future large clinical investigations on pregnancy identification and reproductive disorders in dairy farms in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A dual crosslinked hybrid hydrogel was constructed to treat infected diabetic wounds. • The hybrid hydrogel acts as a wound dressing, antibiotic therapy, and oxygen therapy. • The hybrid hydrogel can accelerate the three phases of tissue repair. Limited therapeutic options are available for healing chronic non-self-healing diabetic wounds, which are characterized by bacterial infection as well as a hypoxic microenvironment. Here, we report a simple and efficient strategy to generate a multifunctional organic–inorganic hybrid hydrogel to simultaneously overcome these problems. This hybrid hydrogel is composed of a dual cross-linked silk fibroin (SF) network with hemoglobin (Hb) and gallium (Ga) (referred to as SF/Hb/Ga). Material characterization of hybrid hydrogels and investigations of their antibacterial properties and protease-dependent release behaviors were carried out to confirm their multiple functions as wound dressings. In vitro experiments showed that the SF-based hydrogel significantly promoted cell proliferation. Hb, as a peroxidase, could decompose H 2 O 2 to O 2 to achieve a suitable normoxic microenvironment for diabetic wound healing. In vivo experimental results showed that the SF/Hb/Ga hybrid hydrogel accelerated the three phases of tissue repair and completely healed bacterially infected diabetic wounds within 15 days. Overall, the present hybrid strategy offers a new opportunity to produce multifunctional dressing materials for the management of infected diabetic wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper-level jet stream, a narrow band of maximum wind speed in the mid-latitude westerlies, exerts a considerable influence on the global climate by modulating the transport and distribution of momentum, heat and moisture. In this study by using four high-resolution models in the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project phase 3, the changes of position and intensity of the northern hemisphere westerly jet at 200 hPa in summer during the mid-Holocene (MH), as well as the related mechanisms, are investigated. The four models show similar performance on the westerly jet. At the hemispheric scale, the simulated westerly jet has a poleward shift during the MH compared to the preindustrial period. The warming in arctic and cooling in the tropics during the MH are caused by the orbital changes of the earth and the precipitation changes, and it could lead to the weakened meridional temperature gradient and pressure gradient, which might account for the poleward shift of the westerly jet from the thermodynamic perspective. From the dynamic perspective, two maximum centers of eddy kinetic energy are simulated over the North Pacific and North Atlantic with the north deviation, which could cause the northward movement of the westerly jet. The weakening of the jet stream is associated with the change of the Hadley cell and the meridional temperature gradient. The largest weakening is over the Pacific Ocean where both the dynamic and the thermodynamic processes have weakening effects. The smallest weakening is over the Atlantic Ocean, and it is induced by the offset effects of dynamic processes and thermodynamic processes. The weakening over the Eurasia is mainly caused by the dynamic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Porous bioceramic granules with interconnective pore wall curvature could be fabricate by digital light process. • Mg doping Ca-silicate produced Mg-rich bioceramics with appreciable structure stability and biological performances. • Granule-type porous implants with pore wall curvature exhibited convenient filling operation and new bone formation. • Magnesium ion doping endows akermanite porous granules with excellent mechanical and biological properties. The requirement for bone grafts needed for filling bone defect and fracture is increasing annually due to global ageing and a great amount of bone trauma cases, whereas the conventional bioceramic implants is suboptimal for bone regeneration and inconvenient for implantation operation. Here we describe the 3D printed granule-type bioceramics and evaluate the porous architectures and biological performances of two types of Mg-mediating silicate bioceramics. The 6 % and 9 % Mg doped wollastonite (CSi-6 and CSi-9) and pure or 9 % Mg-rich akermanite (AKT and AKT-9) granules had a gyroid-pore geometry and exhibited different sintering and mechanical properties. The granules were also evaluated on dissolution and osteogenic cell response in vitro and osteogenic capacity in rabbit femoral condylar defect in vivo for different time stages. It was indicated that Mg doping into CSi could contribute appreciable compressive resistance but low bio-dissolution in comparison with the AKT. These silicate bioceramics showed similar osteoblastic viability and the Mg-rich AKT promoted mesenchymal stem cell differentiation in vitro. The surface-curved granules exhibited high-filling networks in the bone defect and promoted bone growth during the early and mid-term stages (40 & 120 days), and especially the wollastonite groups were degraded quickly and akermanite groups stimulated faster bone formation. Taken together, this study demonstrated the potential of Mg-tuning silicate bioceramics in achieving high-efficient bone repair and important implications for optimizing the porous granule fillers design by advanced additive manufacture technique to match the clinical translation with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malignant pleural effusion is mostly a complication of advanced malignant tumors. However, the cancer markers such as carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA 125), carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), and cytokeratin fragment 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) have low sensitivity and organ specificity for detecting malignant pleural effusion. Research question: Is IR808@MnO nano-near infrared fluorescent dye worthy for the diagnosis in differentiating benign and malignant pleural effusions. Study design and methods: This experiment was carried out to design and characterize the materials for in vitro validation of the new dye in malignant tumor cells in the A549 cell line and in patients with adenocarcinoma pleural effusion. The dye was verified to possess tumor- specific targeting capabilities. Subsequently, a prospective hospital-based observational study was conducted, enrolling 106 patients and excluding 28 patients with unknown diagnoses. All patients underwent histopathological analysis of thoracoscopic biopsies, exfoliative cytological analysis of pleural fluid, and analysis involving the new dye. Statistical analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel, GraphPad Prism, and the R language. Results: The size of IR808@MnO was 136.8 ± 2.9 nm, with peak emission at 808 nm, and it has near-infrared fluorescence properties. Notably, there was a significant difference in fluorescence values between benign and malignant cell lines (p < 0.0001). The malignant cell lines tested comprised CL1-5, A549, MDA-MB-468, U-87MG, MKN-7, and Hela, while benign cell lines were BEAS-2B, HUVEC, HSF, and VE. The most effective duration of action was identified as 30 min at a concentration of 5 μl. This optimal duration of action and concentration were consistent in patients with lung adenocarcinoma accompanied by pleural effusion and 5 μl. Of the 106 patients examined, 28 remained undiagnosed, 39 were diagnosed with malignant pleural effusions, and the remaining 39 with benign pleural effusions. Employing the new IR808@MnO staining method, the sensitivity stood at 74.4%, specificity at 79.5%, a positive predictive value of 69.2%, and a negative predictive value of 82.1%. The area under the ROC curve was recorded as 0.762 (95% CI: 0.652–0.872). The confusion matrix revealed a positive predictive value of 75.7%, a negative predictive value of 75.6%, a false positive rate of 22.5%, and a false negative rate of 26.3%. Interpretation: The IR808@MnO fluorescent probe represents an efficient, sensitive, and user-friendly diagnostic tool for detecting malignant pleural fluid, underscoring its significant potential for clinical adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers, which has a poor prognosis and is prone to recurrence and metastasis. DPP7 is a prolyl peptidase, which is an enzyme characterized by the feature of cleaving proline-containing peptides. We found that the expression level of DPP7 in CRC samples was significantly higher than that in adjacent non-tumor tissues by analyzing public colorectal cancer data and surgical specimens of CRC patients. Moreover, the increased expression of DPP7 is correlated with a higher stage of cancer and shorter overall survival, indicating the diagnostic value of DPP7 for CRC. Furthermore, functional annotations indicated that DPP7 is involved in neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction and olfactory transduction signaling. Our data demonstrated that DPP7 is a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker as well as a new therapeutic target for CRC. Colorectal cancer has a poor prognosis and is prone to recurrence and metastasis. DPP7, a prolyl peptidase, is reported to regulate lymphocyte quiescence. However, the correlation of DPP7 with prognosis in CRC remains unclear. With publicly available cohorts, the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and logistic regression were employed to analyze the relationship between DPP7 expression and the clinicopathological features of CRC patients. Specific pathways of differentially expressed genes were determined through biofunctional analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). qPCR and immunohistochemical staining were used to determine DPP7 expression levels in surgical specimens. The public dataset and analysis of the biospecimens of CRC patients revealed that DPP7, in the CRC samples, was expressed significantly higher than in non-tumor tissues. Moreover, increased DPP7 was significantly associated with a higher N stage, lymphatic invasion, and shorter overall survival. Functionally, DPP7 is involved in neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction and olfactory transduction signaling. We identified a series of targeted drugs and small-molecule drugs with responses to DPP7. To conclude, DPP7 is a valuable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CRC and considered as a new therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is involved in inflammation regulation and has a certain association with infectious diseases. However, its specific correlation with infectious diseases remains controversial. This study aimed to analyze the association between them and explore the possible role of PTX3 in the prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: Five databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Clinicaltrials.gov, and gray literature) were searched. Outcomes were expressed as a standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of included articles. Stata 12 and Meta-DiSc were applied to analyze the pooled data. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were conducted to determine the prognostic value of PTX3 for mortality. Results: Six articles met the inclusion criteria. Circulating PTX3 levels had a nonsignificant difference between intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients with COVID-19 [SMD 1.37 (−0.08, 2.81); I2 = 93.9%, P < 0.01], while the PTX3 levels in nonsurvival COVID-19 patients was significantly lower than those in survival patients [SMD −1.41 (−1.92, −0.91); I2 = 66.4%, P = 0.051]. Circulating PTX3 had good mortality prediction ability (area under ROC curve, AUC = 0.829) in COVID-19. Funnel plots and Egger's tests showed low probabilities of publication bias. Through sensitivity analysis, the results of this study were robust. Conclusion: This study found that PTX3 was differentially expressed between survival and nonsurvival patients with COVID-19, while there was no significant difference between ICU and non-ICU patients. Meanwhile, circulating PTX3 may be a good biomarker for monitoring the prognosis of COVID-19, which may provide new ideas and directions for clinical and scientific research. Plain Language Summary: This study focuses on the relationship between circulating pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 can initiate the inflammatory reaction of the body, trigger a series of immune mechanisms, and cause death in severe cases. PTX3 is a soluble pattern recognition molecule (PRM) belonging to the humoral innate immune system, which may be increasingly deemed as an independent strong prognostic indicator in severe infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. Five databases (Pubmed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Clinicaltrials.gov, and gray literature) were searched for six keywords. There was no significant difference in circulating PTX3 levels between intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients with COVID-19, while the PTX3 levels of nonsurvival patients with COVID-19 was significantly lower than those of survival patients. Circulating PTX3 may indicate good diagnostic value in predicting the mortality of COVID-19, which may be useful as an indicator for monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Highly expressed CXCL1-3, 5, 8 exert an important effect on CRC oncogenesis. • Highly expressed CXCL10-11 serve as positive prognostic factors for CRC patients. • CXCL9-11 may recruit anti-tumor CD8+ T cells and NK cells in CRC patients. The C-X-C motif (CXC) chemokines play an important role in inflammatory processes and angiogenesis and are also associated with tumor development, progression and metastasis. They can be either promoting or inhibiting factors in colorectal cancers (CRC). The expression patterns and prognostic values of the CXC family still need further investigation. In this study, we investigated data related to transcription, translation, survival and tumor immune infiltration for CXC chemokines in patients with CRC from the ONCOMINE, GEPIA, cBioPortal, HPA and TIMER databases. We found that the expression levels of CXCL1-3, CXCL5, and CXCL8 were higher in CRC tissues than in colorectal tissues. Expression among stages significantly varied for CXCL1-3 and CXCL9-11. The survival analysis revealed that high transcriptional levels of CXCL4 and CXCL9-11 could serve as positive prognostic factors for patients with CRC. CXCL9-11 were highly associated with CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells in the tumor immune infiltration analysis, indicating their role in the antitumor immune response. This study implies that CXCL1-3, CXCL5, and CXCL8 are important factors during CRC oncogenesis and that CXCL9-11 could be new biomarkers for the prognosis of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracellular pH was tightly regulated in many biological processes in which cells must control pH changes within a precise range. Hence, tracing intracellular pH variation was important for understanding the physiological and pathological processes. Although fluorescent probes can be a necessary tool for detecting changes in pH, there are many limitations to existing probes, such as background interference, large cytotoxicity, and poor permeability, which need to be urgently overcome. In this work, a ratiometric and colorimetric chemosensor based on spiropyran (SP-DCCH) was fabricated for monitoring pH change using fluorescence resonance energy transfer mechanism. SP-DCCH has demonstrated the advantages of high sensitivity and selectivity, outstanding permeability and hypotoxicity. Moreover, SP-DCCH displays a pH-sensitive response from 1.68 to 7.21 (p K a = 4.87) and a linear response from pH 3.81 to 6.01, which was desirable for detecting pH change in living biosystem. As expected, the results confirmed that the response signal was pH-dependent and regulated via switchable forms between spiropyran and merocyanine. Spectacularly, SP-DCCH has successfully realized sensing and mapping pH in living cells, P. aeruginosa and zebrafish. The above results exhibited that SP-DCCH could be a powerful tool for sensing and visualizing pH in living systems. Image 1 • Spiropyran-based sensor SP-DCCH has been employed for visual recognition and quantification of pH change. • SP-DCCH can be switchable sensor of pH with colorimetric/ratiometric responses via spiropyran and merocyanine. • The response mechanism of SP-DCCH was excavated by time-dependent density functional theory. • SP-DCCH has successfully realized pH mapping in living cells, bacteria and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novelty sensor has employed to sense ClO− with ratiometric and colorimetric. • The sensing mechanism was explored by theoretical calculation. • The chemosensors for ClO− successful response in cells, bacteria and zebrafish. • Visualized fluorescence recovery of ClO− can be realized on filter paper. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl)/hypochlorite (ClO−) was a biologically important component of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and plays a key role in human immune function systems. HOCl/ClO− can destroy invasive bacteria and pathogens, and mediate the physiological balance of the organism with low concentrations, and cause oxidation of the biomolecules such as proteins, cholesterol and nucleic acid in biological cells, leading to a series of diseases with over capacity. Therefore, quantifying the content of HOCl/ClO− in organisms are extremely urgent. In this work, coumarin-salicylic hydrazide Schiff base (CMSH), a ratiometric and colorimetric fluorescent probe for ClO- detection based on coumarin as the fluorophore unit was rationally designed and synthesized. The results indicated that CMSH exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity for ClO- identification. Additionally, the ratios (I 470 /I 532) displayed brilliant ClO−-dependent quick and sensitive performance within 40 s and limitation of 128 nM, respectively. As well as the color of the solution changes from green to colorless accompanied by the fluorescence form green turns into blue with addition of ClO−. Totally, CMSH has been successfully employed as ratiometric sensor to image in living cells, bacteria and zebrafish with low cytotoxicity and good permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bacilliform virus was isolated from yellow catfish in China. This virus can directly adapt in cultures of EPC cells. The virus particles, which were rod-shaped approximately 120 nm long and 20 nm wide, were visible in the cytoplasm of EPC cells. The full-length genome of this virus is 26,985 nt. The genome contains four open reading frames that encode polyprotein1ab, spike glycoprotein, M protein, and N protein. There was a putative slippery sequence 14861UUUAAAC14867, which could be modeled into an RNA pseudoknot structure. The predicted amino acid sequence of pp1ab, S, M, and N genes shares 8.7%–40.2% homology with those of the two known Bafinivirus strains—WBV and FHMNV. Based on the viral morphology, genome organization, and sequence homology, this newly identified bacilliform virus appears to be Piscanivirus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Piscanivirus in yellow catfish and Piscanivirus in China. • A new bacilliform virus isolated from yellow catfish collected in China was dentified. • The identified virus can directly adapt in cell culture. • The virus particle is rod-shaped approximately 120 nm long and 20 nm wide in the cytoplasm. • The full-length genomic sequence of the virus is 26,985 nt. The sequence in region 1187-2214 nt is hypervariable. • The newly identified virus was a new member in the subfamily Piscanivirinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acid-alkaline balance plays a crucial role in all biological processes. Accordingly, monitoring pH changes will help us to understand the functional status of these physiological and pathological processes. Though fluorescent probes may be a useful tool for detecting pH changes, and there are many limitations to currently available probes, such as background interference, potential cytotoxicity, and poor cell permeability, which call for a solution urgently. In this work, a rhodamine-derived colorimetric and ratiometric sensor (Rh–HN) was fabricated for monitoring pH change via the mechanism of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Rh–HN has been shown to possess several advantages over other probes, such as high sensitivity, outstanding permeability, and low toxicity. Besides, the fluorescence intensity ratio (F 526 /F 592) of Rh–HN displays a pH-sensitive response from 2.0 to 7.5 (p K a = 5.05) and linear response from pH 3.8 to 6.4, which was desirable for mapping pH change in the biological systems. Besides, the results indicated that Rh–HN generated a pH-dependent response regulated by switchable forms between closed and opened spirolactam ring. Overall, Rh–HN has accomplished sensing and mapping of pH in living cells, bacteria, and zebrafish. Those results demonstrated that the great potential of Rh–HN in sensing and visualizing pH in the living biosystem. Image 1 • A Rhodamine-derived sensor Rh–HN was developed to visualize and monitor pH variation with p K a = 5.05. • Rh–HN exhibited reversible colorimetric/ratiometric responses to pH by switching of closed and opened spirolactam. • Response mechanism of Rh–HN was revealed by density functional theory calculation. • Rh–HN has successfully accomplished pH mapping in living cells, bacteria and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When abrin-a was combined with several polyclonal antibodies (PAb), the detection limit could be increased. In this way, a monoclonal antibody (capture) and polyclonal antibody (detection) sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a colloidal gold-PAb conjugate-based immunochromatographic assay for detection of abrin-a were developed. The ELISA had a detection limit of 3.9 ng/mL for abrin-a in standard solution and 7.8 ng/mL in soybean milk, and was more sensitive than polyclonal antibody (capture) and monoclonal antibody (detection) ELISA, which had a detection limit of 15.6 ng/mL. The test strip had a detection range of 50 to 500 ng/mL for abrin-a and a detection limit in standard solution or soybean milk samples of 50 ng/mL. However, the test strip had a reduced detection capability compared with a colloidal gold-monoclonal antibody conjugate-based immunochromatographic assay test strip, which had a lower detection limit of 10 ng/mL. The developed ELISAs and test strip show the specificity towards abrin-a and have no cross-reactivity towards abrin-b, -c, -d, ricin, or the agglutinins from either castor beans or rosary peas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphophalli Rhizoma (APR) is widely used as an adjuvant treatment for advanced and metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but its effects, potential active ingredients, and mechanism of action on estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-positive (HER2+) breast cancer cells were not reported. The present study investigated the effects and mechanism of APR on ER+ and HER2+ breast cancer cells. Rotary evaporation was used to prepare different extracts of APR. Cell activity was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method. Wound healing assays were used to assess cell migration, and a cell invasion assay was performed using a Transwell chamber with Matrigel matrix. A xenograft model was used to analyze the inhibitory effects of APR on tumor growth. Bioinformatics analyses were used to explore the potential mechanism of APR in breast cancer. RT–qPCR and Western blotting were performed to reveal the molecular mechanism. The ethyl acetate extract of APR showed the strongest tumor inhibitory effect on ER+ and HER2+ breast cancer cells compared to petroleum ether or N-butanol extracts. APR inhibited ER+ and HER2+ breast cancer cell growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion via the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway. APR had a significant inhibitory effect on ER+ and HER2+ breast cancer cells via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Therefore, APR may be useful for preventing ER+ and HER2+ breast tumor growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion. [Display omitted] • APR inhibited cell growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion in ER + breast cancer cells. • APR inhibited cell growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion in HER2+ breast cancer cells. • APR activated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. • Different extracts have different cytotoxicity to different types of breast cancer cells. • Different cytotoxicity plays a key role in the accurate treatment of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking and quantifying hypochlorite (ClO−) in biological systems and environments remain challenging tasks, and many efforts have been made to improve ClO− recognition performance by modifying the sensor structure. In this study, a pre-designed coumarin/furanohydrazide-based sensor (CMFH) with the coumarin moiety as the building block (fluorogen) was rationally prepared as a ratiometric and colorimetric chemosensor for ClO− recognition. As expected, CMFH demonstrated excellent sensitivity and selectivity for ClO− detection. The fluorescence signal ratio (F 466 / F 556) showed strong ClO− dependency, and the sensor exhibited ultrafast detection (within 60 s) and a low detection limit of 563 nM. Due to its low cytotoxicity and good tissue permeability, CMFH was demonstrated as a dual-channel sensor for ClO− bioimaging and visualization in cells, zebrafish, and even bacteria. Furthermore, CMFH- loaded paper strips were successfully applied to the colorimetric and fluorescent visualization of ClO−. The results demonstrate that CMFH has potential application value for tracking ClO− in various biosystems and environments. [Display omitted] • A concise CMFH chemosensor has been employed to identify ClO− with high selectivity. • CMFH can respond to ClO− with ratiometric and colorimetric responses strategy. • CMFH can trace and map ClO− in living cells, P. aeruginosa and zebrafish. • Visual recognition of fluorescence and color of ClO− can be realized on a paper strip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A Novel HNTBA sensor has been developed as a dual-response sensor to ClO− and N 2 H 4. • HNTBA has provided high selectivity and sensitivity for recognizing ClO− and N 2 H 4. • HNTBA could be sensing endogenous and exogenous ClO− in cells, P. aeruginosa and zebrafish. • HNTBA could be applied for monitoring N 2 H 4 in cells, P. aeruginosa and zebrafish. • Visualized fluorescence capture of ClO− and N 2 H 4 can be realized on a paper strip. Hypochlorite (ClO−) and hydrazine (N 2 H 4) were poisonous to the biological environment. Accurate and sensitive identification of ClO− and N 2 H 4 in biological and environmental systems was essential to reveal their various physiological and pathological functions. Herein, a dual-response chemosensor, HNTBA , was developed for quantitative monitoring and visualization of ClO− and N 2 H 4 in vitro and in vivo via fluorescence turn-on strategy. With the addition of ClO−/N 2 H 4 , fluorescence "OFF–ON" response was obtained for the sensor as a result of specific ClO−/N 2 H 4 -triggered C C bond cleavage reaction with converted to the corresponding aldehyde and hydrazone, which responding mechanism was verified by DFT calculation. Additionally, HNTBA features rapid response (<30 s) and low limit of detection (nanomole), high sensitivity and selectivity toward ClO−/N 2 H 4 over other analytes, which allow it to be used for quantification of ClO−/N 2 H 4 in a simulated physiological condition. Fluorescence imaging using HNTBA sensor was taken to monitor the exogenous/endogenous ClO− levels in hPDLCs and RAW 264.7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Notably, HNTBA exhibits high effectiveness for early assessment of the treatment response of ClO−-mediated in cells with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, HNTBA can be used to visualize N 2 H 4 in live cells from blue channels with good performance. The outstanding sensing performances of HNTBA sensor enabled fast tracking of ClO− and N 2 H 4 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and zebrafish with fluorescence light up, and it could be further applied to a paper strip. The results demonstrate that HNTBA was a powerful tool to monitor ClO− and N 2 H 4 in biosystems and environmental. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationally designed and synthesized Schiff base sensor CMTAH containing coumarin fluorophores by the coupling of coumarin aldehyde and thiophene-2-carbohydrazide and acts as differentially selective chemosensor via colorimetric/ratiometric responses to Cu(II)/Zn(II) ions with fluorescence switchable strategy in aqueous media. Variation in absorption and emission spectra of CMTAH with different metal cations in aqueous media reveal high-affinity binding to Cu(II)/Zn(II) ions over other coexisting cations. Moreover, the spectrometric titrations and Job's plot curves substantiated the stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 for Cu(II)/Zn(II) complexes formation with low detection limits of 141 nM and 72 nM, respectively. Particularly, the responding mechanism of CMTAH toward Cu(II)/Zn(II) ions was investigated by density functional theory calculations. Notably, the molecular logic gates were established with the combination of CMTAH for the intelligentialized recognition of Cu(II)/Zn(II) ions. Additionally, the compatibility and permeability of CMTAH were attributed to Schiff base group, which exhibited remarkable responding and bioimaging in living cells and zebrafish. Notably, CMTAH could be used to image in Drosophila larvae with a clearly visible profile of internal organs and effectively capture Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions in living Drosophila larvae, which lay the foundation of sensors in the field of Drosophila biological imaging research. Image 1 • Dual-functional chemosensor CMTAH has been employed monitor Cu(II)/Zn(II) ions with fluorescence switchable strategy. • CMTAH could be specially recognized and distinguished Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions with colorimetric/ratiometric. • CMTAH has been successfully applied to image Cu(II)/Zn(II) ions in living cells and zebrafish. • Visualized fluorescence changes of Cu(II)/Zn(II) ions can be easily realized on Drosophila larva. • Molecular logic gates were established and recognized of Cu(II)/Zn(II) ions with intelligentialized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium, aluminum, and indium belong to Group IIIA of the periodic table with similar chemical properties, which were a double-edged sword for living organisms. Therefore, it's particularly important to detect the content of Group IIIA in organisms. Obviously, the fluorescent probe method has become a mainstream method for detecting metal ions with advantages of convenience and high efficiency. Unfortunately, fluorescent probes that can simultaneously detect these three metal ions are rarely reported. 3-hydroxyflavone (3-HF) is a highly focused molecule with chemical and photochemical properties and have great potential for bioimaging applications as sensors with excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). Here, 3-HF as ratiometric fluorescence probes have been developed for responding to Group IIIA ions including Ga(III), Al(III) and In(III) ions with ESIPT-based mechanism. 3-HF displayed highly specific sensing for Group IIIA ions over other cations with a green fluorescence transformation into blue fluorescence by the formation of 2:1 complexes. However, rapid response toward Group IIIA ions was developed using ratiometric fluorescence with wide pH range and good reversibility, and the response mechanism of 3-HF toward Group IIIA ions was annotated by density functional theory (DFT). Furthermore, the biological applicability of 3-HF has shown that 3-HF were able to detect and image Group IIIA ions in cells. Additionally, using a zebrafish model, we exhibited the capability of this 3-HF probe for detecting and imaging Group IIIA ions in zebrafish. This work achieves the detection and imaging of Group IIIA simultaneously by 3-HF probe in living cells and zebrafish and provides another example for "ESIPT OFF". Image 1 • Flavone-based probe detected Group IIIA with high selectivity and sensibility. • Responding mechanism of probe towards Group IIIA was exhibited by DFT. • 3-HF as ratiometric probe sensing Group IIIA with bioimaging in cells and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Highly porous polysaccharide hydrogels were fabricated from salecan/agarose blends. • The structure of hydrogels can be tuned by changing polysaccharide content. • The salecan/agarose hydrogel was physically cross-linked. • The composite hydrogels supported cell adhesion and growth. Salecan polysaccharide produced by Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 is an attractive biopolymer to construct hydrogel scaffolds for cell culture. However, some limitations such as poor mechanical performance, complicated fabrication process and slow gelation times still exist in the biomedical applications of microbial-based salecan polysaccharide hydrogels. Here, a series of polysaccharide hydrogels composed of salecan and agarose with adjustable structural properties are designed. The resultant hybrid salecan/agarose hydrogels exhibit controllable physical and chemical properties including thermal stability, water uptake, mechanical strength and microarchitecture, which can be readily realized with minimum change of the polysaccharide content. Furthermore, cytotoxicity assays reveal that the designed composite hydrogels are non-toxic. More importantly, these hydrogels support cell survival, proliferation, and migration. Together, this work opens up a new avenue to build polysaccharide hydrogel platforms for tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]